how do you buy a car?

[jimmybling31]

I am just wondering how everyone buys a car. personally I like to go test drive every car I can and then out of the ones that stand out in my head I start looking for good deals in the newspaper and such. I pick the cars I look at by driver reviews. I don't really agree with the people at consumer reports. My dad swears by their reviews, but he's not the one that takes his ls400 for all of its repairs and has to see the 600 dollar bill for a seat rail. I personally feel like lexus is a rippoff of a car. doesn't have a good feel to it and cost a fortune to maintain. but I am asking how everyone else buys cars. just what process do you go through.

 

[chadfarmer]

i buy the same brand everytime

my buddy, cousin and uncle work on them so I go get that model (5 years under a hood and i look how much of a pain the simple things are going to be fixed)

now for the sales people thats another story

 

[pwoller]

I see what I like, check if its my price range, if so test drive it and a couple comparable vehicles and buy it if I like it compared to them.

My wife sees a cute car, then sends my to do the dirty work. We just bought her a car that she had never driven, but she loves it.

Oh and when it comes to the haggling, I do it through the internet sales department and don't ever talk to them in person or on the phone. I feel like I have more control over the process when haggling through emails.

 

[Reef Pets]

I go by the visual of the car/truck first. If I like the looks then a test drive is my next goal. I am a truck person therefore how rough or smooth the drive is makes or breaks the truck. Once I have taken in on city streets and highway I will usually park and just set there to think it through and see if the radio is easy to get to, see if my arms are comfortable where I typically rest them while I am driving and if it is overall comfortable.

Once that has been done I start looking arounf for the best price that I can for the make, model and options that I want. Once I find a lower price I call the other sales guys to see if they are able to beat the price. Being that its an expensive purchase I push the price as low as possible. When pushing you will find the good salesmen from the bad. So many times this will shorten the list drastically. From that point I go with the best truck for the price and if I pay a little more from a hard working salesman then thats fine as well for me.

My wife likes BMW's so last year I agreed to a new one and she went through the process. Well, lets just say that BMW is the most over rated car mad. We have not had any problem but they drive horrible and very uncomfortable. I would never agree to one again and she would want to purchase something different as well.

 

[Hypertek99]

I wish i can buy a new car. haha

 

[jimmybling31]

I wish i can buy a new car. haha

I only buy used cars. buying new cars is a waste as I see it. as soon as i drive off the lost i lost 20% of the car's value. just my opinion though

 

[Hypertek99]

Fine i wish i can buy a new used car. Haha

 

[slipondajimmy]

I bought my last car without a test drive. This was in 2006. I went into the dealer, said this is the car I want and here is what I will pay for it. Worked out great. Pretty much no contact with the salesperson.

 

[reefpeeper]

i just bought a 2006 acura mdx. i am a auto technician and know what to look for. i know by experience acuras and hondas are the best cars to own. they hardly ever break and are not very expensive to repair when it does happen.

 

[jimmybling31]

like the reliability of japanese cars, don't like the style. just my opinion though. watch me end up with a subaru.

 

[Spiderwoman]

New cars: decide on what we are looking for and then go to the dealers to get the best price. Usually it's a 2-3 week process.

Used: hubby hunts them down on certain message boards, eBay and Craigslist. Those are his hobby cars (rolling my eyes). Do NOT ask how many he has so far!

 

[slipondajimmy]

i just bought a 2006 acura mdx. i am a auto technician and know what to look for. i know by experience acuras and hondas are the best cars to own. they hardly ever break and are not very expensive to repair when it does happen.

These statements always make me chuckle. While not a mechanic, my personal exp would be the opposite. I have owned many MANY cars over the years. and the most reliable I had ever owned were all GM. I had a 78 GMC pickup that finally died after 600k documented miles. It died because the original timing chain finally failed. I owned several camaros as well as cutlass over the years and they also gave me years of trouble free driving.

But wouldn't you know, the one time I bought a honda (brand new from dealer) It was a basket case. within 500 miles the AC was dead, the trans was slipping, and the dash board started peeling apart. I ended up getting rid of it and buying a Chrysler that has now given me 3 years of trouble free driving :)

 

[Ladipyg]

I bought my 03 Ford Excursion - Diesel as a work truck of sorts. I needed something to pull the cargo trailers, travel trailers,the boat and other heavy stuff without a struggle. I have to be able to carry cargo inside, plus its roomy and comfortable. My Excursion fit the bill perfectly, plus its just getting broken in at 75,000 and I'm getting better gas mileage in my big truck then some people are in smaller cars. Towing my boat, I am getting 17 to 20 mpg...just depends on whose driving...me or the hubby. Built my car on line at the Ford website so I had a good idea of what it would cost and what my trade in was worth.
First dealership lost the sale cause everytime I asked a question about the vehicle, the salesman directed his answers to my hubby. When I went to the bathroom the salesman said to my husband "Sir, you and I could get you a new truck in no time if your wife wasn't asking so many questions, women just don't understand trucks." My husband was still laughing when I got back, repeated the statement for my benefit then told the guy..."Buddy, your biggest mistake was assuming the truck was for me...your second mistake was assuming my wife is stupid, she is not, she knows more about trucks than you ever will."
I love my Excursion, and it's probably the first car I've ever planned on keeping...I usually trade up after they are paid for...but not this one. I've been offered ridiculous amounts of money from people wanting one since Ford no longer makes them, but that's not happening. My hubby drives a Ford Super Duty F-250 Diesel and we just bought a 2008 Escape in March. We're a Ford family I guess.
I'm the one that does the research and does the actual price negotiating...I'm hard line about knowing how long the dealership has had the car on the lot and how far down they are willing to go and I don't budge...period. I can walk away no problem, but when they call me at home later that day to say they accept my offer, it's going to cost them something else for my trouble. For the Escape I got 12 oil changes free.

 

[jimmybling31]

New cars: decide on what we are looking for and then go to the dealers to get the best price. Usually it's a 2-3 week process.

Used: hubby hunts them down on certain message boards, eBay and Craigslist. Those are his hobby cars (rolling my eyes). Do NOT ask how many he has so far!

I have to ask because I was doing the same thing at first to find one, but I am about to say screw it and just rebuild my camaro and drive it for another 100000 miles. I like hobby cars too much I guess. I have been driving my 74 911 multiple times a week since the camaro broke down the first time.

 

[laskopyre]

Normally, I go to the auto show and pick out the cars I want. Then I call rental car places and rent each car for a weekend. Let's me get a feel for the car, and if I'm going to want to be sitting in it for years.

 

[light_nazi]

well this is my first post here on r2r. when i buy a car, i look at mileage, wear and general condition of fluids and/or body damage. i dont want 1 thats been in a collision, and i dont wnat 1 that has filthy fluids or interior. i can tell a lot about a car even before i drive it. after i get past those things, i'll take it on a test drive. drive it on smooth and bumpy streets. listen for noises and check for overall ride comfort. if those check out, then we can start talkin #'s. its always nice when its a private sale and the owner has had a record of all of the service history.

the only other advice that i could give when buying a used car is do your research! if that engine or whatever is due for something major like a timing belt replacment of anything comporable, make sure that's done!!! if not, work it into the price.

 

[fishes2889]

Recently bought my first new car. It's a 2008 Mazda 3 2.3litre. Shopped around for around a month to wait on the prices to come down as it was the end of the year, November, and looked at a bunch of dealerships in different states. Originally at this dealer the car was 16-17K but i found a dealership in Ohio that was selling for 14,500 because they couldn't sell any cars, just wanted them to move off the lot. Used that as leverage and the Mazda dealership nearest to me matched the price and gave me a 1k rebate as well. $13700 plus taxes was a great deal. They ended up loosiung money on the deal. Thats how bad some dealerships are struggling.

 

[Spiderwoman]

I have to ask because I was doing the same thing at first to find one, but I am about to say screw it and just rebuild my camaro and drive it for another 100000 miles. I like hobby cars too much I guess. I have been driving my 74 911 multiple times a week since the camaro broke down the first time.

UGH, hobby cars... let's see
All Ford Merkur's are XR4Ti's

- 3-4 red (1984-1988 Ford Merkur's)
- 1 champaign (1987 Ford Merkur)
- 2 blue (1984-1988 Ford Merkur's)
- 1 orange (Ford Merkur)
- pearl white (1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT)
- green (1993 Mitsubishi 3000GT)
- dark brown (1967 Ford Ranchero)
- 1 or 2 silver (1986 Pontiac Grand Am 2+2, other Ford Merkur)